Thursdays in Primetime Part 6

Thursdays are the most competitive nights on television. All the networks put all their best shows on the same night. It is impossible to watch everything good at this time, unless, of course, you record some things to watch later or watch what you can’t see online. NBC airs comedies and a drama. CBS airs comedies as well and ends with Evil right now. ABC shows their popular TGIT night which are all dramas produced by Shonda Rhimes. FOX has a constantly changing lineup that I won’t bother to keep track of, but will review from time to time. They are airing football right now. The CW shows Supernatural and Legacies. There are no losers and every network seems to win in their own right. The reason this night is the most competitive is the high demand of advertisers for the movies that will come out the next day. I have seen a lot of these shows so here’s my views on them:

Superstore: Status- Currently on NBC at 8/7 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- My mother was originally interested in it, so I recorded it for her and watched it myself. Noteworthiness- Despite its short time on the air, it is the longest running comedy on NBC. I don’t know if the return of Will and Grace complicates things or the transfer of Brooklyn Nine-Nine to this network. Description- This is a comedy about people who work in a store and the adventures that ensue. Notable People- America Ferria from Ugly Betty is in the cast. She might have also created the show too. Pros- This show is interesting and different. Cons- There really isn’t much that this show offers. It can be weird. Note to Parents- This is probably the standard amount of what you’d expect in terms of what is acceptable or not for your kids to watch. In the episode I saw, an unmarried woman was pregnant. Recommendation- It isn’t terrible, but I wouldn’t watch it again. My Viewing Habits- I only watched this once. Prediction- I say that it might last, but only given NBC’s general lack of comedies that they have to rely on. They need something, right? Reception: mixed/average. Grade: D.

Young Sheldon: Status- Currently on CBS at 8/7 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- I watch the show it span off from so it made sense to watch this too. Noteworthiness- This is a prequel to the show The Big Bang Theory. Description- A spin-off of The Big Bang Theory, it features Sheldon Cooper at a younger age. Notable People- Jim Parsons, who plays adult Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory, is the narrator of this show, or was at one point. Pros- The show works and is pretty good. It doesn’t have some of the problems that the main show has, like focusing on sex too much, due to all the characters being young. Cons- It doesn’t seem to have the same type of appeal that The Big Bang Theory does. It doesn’t seem as funny as one would want it to be. Note to Parents- This is pretty acceptable most of the time. There have been some issues now and then, but not too many. Recommendation- I would suggest watching this. You don’t even have to like The Big Bang Theory to enjoy this, although there are links between them. My Viewing Habits- I have not seen every episode, but I have watched this since it first started. Prediction- This will probably keep lasting for a while. It is renewed for next season. I see no reason why it wouldn’t last. Reception: generally favorable. Grade: A.

Grey’s Anatomy: Status- Currently on Thursdays at 8/7 Central on ABC. Why I’ve seen it-Desire to find a medical drama to watch all the time on a regular basis. When I realized that I liked medical dramas, I also realized that they always cancel the ones that I like, so I figured that I should watch this since it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Noteworthiness- It is the longest running drama on ABC to still be in production. It is also the longest running medical drama of all time. Description- A medical drama featuring a large cast of doctors of both genders solves medical problems that sometimes relates to their own team. I’m not really sure how to describe it that well so you might understand it better if you watch an episode yourself. Notable People- Shonda Rhimes, who went on to help produce Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, and now dominates most of Thursday nights on ABC with shows that she helped make, created this show. Pros- This show is pretty interesting and humorous. Most of the large cast is focused upon most of the time. The medical aspect is well-done. It isn’t always about the same characters all the time. The acting is great. Cons- The show can be quite complicated and hard to understand and follow, especially if you don’t watch every week. If you don’t like soap operas, then this show probably isn’t for you because of the format it uses. There’s too much sex in the show as well and most people wouldn’t like the morals present. There are too many characters to keep track of on a regular basis and sometimes a lot of the cast isn’t in a certain episode. The main character, in particular, isn’t there that much. Note to Parents- I would avoid letting your kids watch that. Recommendation- Take it or leave it. If you don’t like it now, you never will. My Viewing Habits- There was a long time when I didn’t watch this for one reason or another, but I finally decided to start watching it. I plan to stick with it until the end. Prediction- This could be ending at some point in time over the new few years. Reception: somewhat positive. Grade: C+.

The Unicorn: Status- Currently on CBS at 8:30/7:30 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- I tend to watch each new CBS show at least once when I can. Description- A widower decides to go out into the dating world again. Notable People- It stars Omar Miller from The Eleventh Hour and CSI: Miami. Pros- There is a good thought behind the basic premise of the show. Cons- It doesn’t seem to offer much to it. Note to Parents- This has some objectionable stuff that you might not want your kids exposed to. Recommendation- This isn’t really any good so I’d pass on it if I were you. My Viewing Habits- I watched the pilot and that’s it. Prediction- This is likely to stay around for now. But it is early in the season and things could change. Reception: positive. Grade: D. New review

The Good Place: Status- Currently on NBC at 9/8 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- In order to review this for another blog of mine, I watched it. Description- A comedy, a woman finds out that she is dead, but in the good place. The main problem: she’s not supposed to be there. Notable People- Ted Danson, who was in many shows in the past, among them Cheers, CSI, and CSI: Cyber, is a character on the show. Kristen Bell, who did many movies and Veronica Mars, is the main character. Pros- The show is different and interesting. It tries to keep religion out of it so as to not offend anyone. The writing is quite good. Cons- The idea of things going wrong with the good place in death is a bit hard to believe. It lacks a certain amount of charm that you would want it to have. It doesn’t seem as funny as it could be. Note to Parents- This is borderline is terms of what is acceptable to let your kids watch or not. Recommendation- I think that it is quite good and should be watched. Prediction- It is ending this season. Reception: positive. Grade: B.

Mom: Status- Currently on CBS at 9/8 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- If you didn’t know already, I like to watch every CBS TV show, even if it is just once. Description- A woman deals with the issues of single motherhood and various family problems. Notable People- Alison Janey and Anna Farris, both known for movies, are two main characters on the show. Chuck Lorre, who created Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, and helps with Mike and Molly, helps with this show, although I’m not sure if he created it, which he might have. Pros- People like it, based on comments I’ve seen online. Cons- All the show is about is a bunch of immoral people and I don’t know why we should care about something like this. Also, it is far from being funny. Note to Parents- This has so much smut in it that I wouldn’t let anyone you take care of watch it. Recommendation- Don’t watch it. It’s terrible. The fact that people like it completely baffles me. My Viewing Habits- I watched the first episode and would rather watch 30 straight minutes of commercials before I’d tune into this again. Prediction- This will keep lasting for a while unless something weird happens. Reception: somewhat favorable. Grade: F.

Carol’s Second Act: Status- Currently on CBS at 9:30/8:30 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- I like to watch a CBS show at least once. Description- A woman starts her second career being a doctor with a bunch of younger medical residents. Notable People- This stars Patricia Heaton from Everybody Loves Raymond, The Middle, and Back to You. This also stars Ashley Tisdale from the Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Pros- The show works and makes sense. Cons- Some of it seems dumb and could be better. Note to Parents- This might have some questionable stuff, but probably not too much. Recommendation- I think that it is worth watching if you aren’t into anything else. My Viewing Habits- I have seen this since the first episode and don’t plan to stop watching any time soon. Prediction- It is likely to stay based on initial ratings which could quickly change. Reception: somewhat positive. Grade: C. New review

Evil: Status- Currently on CBS at 10/9 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- I watched this to review it for a blog. Description- A woman and others have to deal with the idea of what makes one evil and if there are supernatural abilities behind it or not. Notable People- This is created by Robert and Michelle King who also did The Good Wife, The Good Fight, and BrainDead. It stars Michael Emerson from Person of Interest, Lost, and Arrow. Pros- It has a lot to offer in terms of understanding the human mind. Cons- It might be too mysterious at some points in the long term. I just hope they decide whether or not to include supernatural elements for sure at some point. Note to Parents- This is probably not something that you want your kids watching. Recommendation- I’d say that this is pretty good to watch. My Viewing Habits- I plan to see as much of this as I can and have watched since the first episode aired. Prediction- This doesn’t seem likely to last. Reception: positive. Grade: B-. New review

How to Get Away with Murder: Status- Currently on ABC at 10/9 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- At the time, I wanted to watch something at this timeslot and chose this over Chicago P.D. Description- A woman teaches an intense legal class and various cases are solved as well. Pros- The show is just as mysterious as it should be without being too much of a problem. Cons- There are some bad morals present and plots can see too drawn out. Note to Parents- This isn’t something kids should watch as there are a lot of more adult themes in it. Recommendation- This might be good, but if you aren’t into it yet, don’t bother with it. It is a good show if you don’t care what you’ve missed. My Viewing Habits- I joined at the start of a new season and plan to stick with it when I can until the end. Prediction- It is ending this season. Reception: generally positive. Grade: C. New review

Law and Order: Special Victims Units: Status- Currently on NBC at 10/9 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- I forget why I started watching. It might have been me wanting an hour long alternative to Modern Family so I wouldn’t have to watch what aired with it. Noteworthiness- It is the longest running drama spin-off on television as well as the longest running NBC drama. It is also the only primetime drama to premiere last millennium and still be on the air producing new episodes. It is a spin-off of Law and Order. It is now the longest running primetime show of all time. Description- A group of people known as the special victims unit (SVU) investigate sexual crimes and crimes that happen to children as well. Pros- They never show the rapes, even though that’s often what the show is about. The plots are interesting and different. There are always twists that keep you hooked on the show. They use real life cases as an inspiration, but not as what actually is shown. Cons- The show may never end. They regularly switch head writers because it has been on so long. The endings are normally not happy. It has a rather grim subject for a show. Note to Parents- There’s a lot of dark stuff in here and every episode airs with a viewer discretion is advised warning. So keep that in mind when you don’t let your kids watch it. Recommendation- Give it a chance and you might like it. If you don’t, that’s okay because it is dark. My Viewing Habits- I tend to watch this whenever possible, although I do miss a lot of it. I watch it a lot when it reruns on My Network TV, although it only tends to be when what I normally watch isn’t on or during the summer. Prediction- It will last until people stop watching for some odd reason or it gets too expensive to keep making. It might be in danger of ending, but if it is, there might be enough warning to let viewers at the people who do this show time to know. Reception: great. Grade: A+.